Presidential Proposals

Monday's w/ Michael

The following stories come from Uncle John's Bathroom reader.

Lyndon Baines Johnson met Claudia "Lady Bird" Taylor in 1934. Johnson was an aide to Texas Congressman Richard Kleberg and was in Austin for business. They went on a single breakfast date, at the end of which Johnson proposed. "Lady Bird" said she'd think about it. Johnson returned to Washington and sent her letters and telegrams every day for 10 weeks until he returned to Austin and she accepted.

Thelma "Pat" Ryan was a 25 year old high school teacher and a member of an amateur theatre group. In 1938, Richard Nixon, a 26 year old lawyer, joined the theatre group thinking that acquiring acting skills would help him in the courtroom. In their first performance, Nixon was cast opposite Ryan. He asked her out and proposed on their first date. They were married three years later.

Joe and Jan O'Neill lived in Midland, Texas. They were childhood friends of Laura Welch. In 1975, another childhood freind moved back to Midland after being away for a few years. His name was George W. Bush. The O'Neills bugged Laura to go out with George, but she declined. She finally agreed to meet him at a backyard barbeque in 1977, when she was 30 and he was 31. George was smitten; Laura was too. They were married three months later.

In 1989, Michelle Robinson was working at a Chicago law firm and was assigned to mentor a summer associate from Harvard named Barack Obama. Not long after, Barack asked her on a date. She finally relented and after dating for a few months, she suggested marriage. He wasn't interested. During a dinner date in 1991, she brought it up again. Again he said no. But when dessert showed up, there was an engagement ring on one of the plates. They were married in 1992.

Make it a great Monday!